NHPM to protect about 50 cr people from catastrophic healthcare spending

According to the Union Health Minister, NHPM will serve the poor in the country as there is an increased benefit cover to nearly 40 per cent of the population, covering almost all secondary and many tertiary hospitalisations

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister, Narendra Modi has approved the Centrally Sponsored National Health Protection Mission (NHPM) having central sector component under Ayushman Bharat, anchored in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Thanking the Prime Minister for his visionary leadership and constant guidance, JP Nadda, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, said that NHPM is a major step towards Universal Health Coverage. It will protect around 50 crore people (from about ten crore families) from catastrophic healthcare spending.

This shall boost our resolve to serve the poorest of the poor in the country as there is an increased benefit cover to nearly 40 per cent of the population, covering almost all secondary and many tertiary hospitalisations, he said. Nadda further stated that the coverage of Rs 5 lakh for each family has no restriction of family size and age. “This will give underprivileged families the financial support required when faced with illnesses requiring hospitalisation,” Nadda added. Families belonging to poor and vulnerable population based on Socio Economic Caste Census database shall be benefitted through the Ayushman Bharat-NHPM. NHPM will subsume the on-going centrally sponsored scheme “Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana” (RSBY) and Senior Citizen Health Insurance Scheme (SCHIS). Poised to be the largest public funded health insurance scheme in the world, the Union Health Minister further said that the beneficiaries can avail of the benefits in both public and empanelled private facilities. “All public hospitals in the states implementing Ayushman Bharat-NHPM, will be deemed empanelled for the scheme. As for private hospitals, they will be empanelled online based on defined criteria,” Nadda said.